Turnips. What do you do with them?

[joyfulheart]

I received a bunch of turnips with my CSA today. I have no idea what to do with them. Can you eat the leaves? Any help is most appreciated!

[rainyday]

You can definitely eat the greens. They're good sauteed with garlic in a little olive oil.

[Barefoot~Baker]

Slice them thinly and much on them raw

Mash them with potatoes mmmm

[maplesugar]

I like to grate a half raw turnip in my salads. Also they are good in soups. And roasted with potatoes, carrots and garlic.

[LauraLoo]

Slice in thick matchstick like cuts, saute in butter, remove from pan and then drizzle with maple syrup. You can also add in some carrots cut the same same way.

Turnips can also be added to soups and stews.

[Artichokie]

okay, so i am loling because dd was drawn to the turnips today at the co-op and I encouraged her to get some. I actually came here looking for ways to prepare them. I am still not sure if I should have her try it raw or doctor them up some way. DH says raw turnips taste like dirt, so I'm torn between making the some way that I'm sure she'd like them, and just letting her experience it as authentic turnip.

[lil_miss_understood]

Omgoodness. Turnips.
I love them in stew. Or raw with dip (or without). Roasted turnips are awesome.
Of course, I just love turnips, so...

[Artichokie]

my dd loves oven roasted yams, so maybe i'll throw the turnips in with them. Do i leave them whole or slice them?

[erratum]

slice and sauté them in butter and apple juice or cider.

[joyfulheart]

Who knew you could do so much with turnips! I don't know how I've lived 41 years and have not ever tried one.

Thanks for all the ideas!

[mumm]

roasted with oil and honey

cut like fries and baked with salt

Slice and layer in a casserole dish with carrots (layer with flour, salt & pepper, onions, apple slices) then cover with milk and a layer of cheddar and bake till soft and gooey.

[BetsyS]

Are they hakurei turnips? My local farmer grew them, and I tried them for the first time 2 years ago. Oh my. I love turnips, but these are the best things you've ever eaten in all your life. This year, my mom and my dh are growing them in their gardens. And, I think I've eaten every single one. I like them raw, peeled, and cold from the fridge, with a little salt.

But, they are also really good grilled, too.

As for the greens--I grew up eating turnip greens only. We didn't even wait for them to make roots. I didn't realize that people ate the roots regularly until I was an adult. Cook them like any other green--they are one of my favorites.

[Kelilah]

Turnip greens are my #1 all-time favorite food, have been since I was a toddler! I love them. Saute a little onion or garlic in olive oil, then throw in the greens and toss until they wilt a bit (just a minute or two), then add a bit of water or broth, some hot sauce, and a splash of cider vinegar. Simmer them about 20 minutes until the greens absorb the broth and serve. You can also add some diced turnip in there to cook along with it, to give the greens more flavor.

Whoever said turnips taste like dirt - well, wash them! Then they won't. They're crisp and sweet raw. I put raw turnips in salads, or I grill them. They're excellent roasted, and you can make mashed potatoes even better by throwing in a turnip or two to cook along with the potatoes and then mashing them all up together. They're delicious au gratin (with or without potatoes or other root veg) - basically, anything you can do with a potato, you can do with a turnip. Plus turnips are awesome raw.

Mmm... love me some turnips!

[mumm]

Originally Posted by Kelilah

Whoever said turnips taste like dirt - well, wash them!

They taste like dirt in the same way that raw milk tastes like cows smell. And goat cheese tastes like the goat shed order. It is part of its being.

[BetsyS]

Beets taste like dirt, too. In a good way.

Yum, dirt.

[joyfulheart]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

Are they hakurei turnips?

I believe they are. They are small and white. I googled a picture of hakurei turnips and that's what they look like, right?

Can't wait to try them!

[Kelilah]

Funny. I never noticed a "dirt" taste in a turnip - they just taste crisp and sweet to me. But then I grew up on them, mainly the greens but the turnips too, so maybe I just got used to it. I'm pretty sure that cooked turnips were one of my first foods. Probably a Southern thing.